System and method for handling or bulk solid materials using big bags or containers

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a big bag having a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; and a central handle connected to a middle section of the closed bottom of the body, wherein the central handle protrudes from the perimeter of the body.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/715,837 filed Aug. 8, 2018, the entirety of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a system associated with containers or sackscalled “big bags,” including the mechanisms for their handling. Bulksolids handling and unloading using special bags or large bags or bigbags, for industrial applications, such as in construction, mines,wells, food, etc.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present it is known that big bags are containers or large sacks oftextile material in which they receive, transport, and store bulk goods,such as granulates, powders, and other similar types of goods.

The logistics of products from a wide variety of industries, such asfood and construction, currently have technology that facilitatesoperations for big bag handling, transport, and storage. In this sense,the bags or big bag have been widely used for years. Big Bags are madeof polypropylene raffia fabric and can have different shapes, such asbeing square or tubular. Their load capacity is usually from 300 to 2500kg depending on the product contained. They have in their upper partfour handles, firmly sewn to the structure of the bag and that allowsthem to be elevated, either by a boom, a bridge crane, a car lift, etc.

Normally, the big bag's discharge is done by its base, either bybreaking it with a suitable means and then not reusing it, or, morecommonly, using the outlet valve that they have in its base so that thematerial simply discharges due to gravity.

In the case of its industry application, fixed structures are usuallybuilt for unloading that allow the bag to be lifted so that it isdischarged from the bottom, as indicated above. However, if the materialis wet it adheres to each other, and it may happen that the materialdoes not flow as expected, causing the operator to lose time to solvethe problem.

The big bags filled with this type of goods can weigh more than a ton,depending on the product content. On the edge of the open top side areseveral transport links, generally four that are made, generally, of thesame textile material as the big bag, and that are strong enough to hangand sustain a full big bag. This happens, preferably, during the fillingof big bags.

The handling and transport of sacks or big bags of material or bulkproduct is observed, in our preferred example this is sand from a mine.(See FIG. 1—Prior art).

In FIG. 2 (Prior art), is observed the steps (S1 to S6) depict the“transport, handling and unloading” of big back sacks for bulk materialor product, in our preferred example it is sand.

In FIG. 3 (Prior art), is observed the steps of the “transport, handlingand unloading” of big bags filled with material or product in bulk areobserved, in our preferred example with sand, in a location of an oilwell subjected to the process of stimulation with hydraulic fracture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a Big bag having an additional uppercentral handle as a holding point for the self-unloading of the bag.

The present invention relates to a big bag having a body having aplurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom, and aperimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacentsidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle isconnected to a corresponding corner; and a central handle connected to amiddle section of the closed bottom of the body, wherein the centralhandle protrudes from the perimeter of the body.

In addition, the present invention relates to a big bag having a bodyhaving a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end,and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with anadjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handleis connected to a corresponding corner; and at least one pivot deviceconnected to the closed bottom end on an outer side of the big bag.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a big bag having a bodyhaving a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end,and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with anadjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handleis connected to a corresponding corner; and the closed bottom end isremovable.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a process of filling,emptying, and unloading sacks, containers, or “big bags,” associatedwith equipment and handling mechanisms that recover the integrity ofthese and re-reuse them, by using the big bag and system according tothe present invention.

The big bag and system according to the present invention help with the:Optimization of the unloading times of the big bags; the elimination ofthe necessity for helpers at height; the elimination of the necessityfor a Frac Sand Conveyor; Final disposition of the big bag; Use offorklift or telehandler; Special mechanical device; Structure or hopperfor pneumatic truck filling; and Integral management of the big bag.

The system is for the handling, transport, and unloading of solidproducts in bulk using at least one container or “big bag.” This systemallows self-unloading, facilitating the unloading process by making itfaster and more efficient. Three types of bags were developed, whosetechnical characteristics are:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows different version of the big bag according to the priorart;

FIG. 2 shows the different steps used by the prior art to load andunload the big bags;

FIG. 3 shows the different steps used by the prior art to handle thebags inside a storage center for grains;

FIG. 4 shows the different steps used by the prior art to handle thebags inside an oil well center;

FIG. 5a shows a version of the big bag according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5b shows a version of the big bag according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5c shows a version of the big bag according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5d shows a version of the big bag according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5e shows a version of the big bag according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5f shows a version of the big bag according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 6a shows the system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6b shows a top view of the system of FIG. 6 a;

FIG. 6c shows the big bag of being use with the system of FIG. 6 a;

FIG. 6d is an exploited view of the FIG. 6 c;

FIG. 7a shows a system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention showing the big bag with hooks attached to the bottom of thebig bag;

FIG. 7b shows a system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention showing the big bag with a side pocket attached to the bottomof the big bag;

FIG. 8a shows the system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention to be use with the big bags of FIGS. 7a and 7 b;

FIG. 9 shows a version of the big bag according to the present inventionshowing the big bag with a lateral discharge panel;

FIG. 10a shows a system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention showing the big bag with a bottom discharge panel;

FIG. 10b shows the system according to an embodiment of the presentinvention to be use with the big bag of FIG. 10a ; and

FIG. 10c shows the big bag of FIG. 10a in an assembling position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Now we will give a brief explanation of the different types of bagslisted above:

FIGS. 5a-5f show different version of the big bag 1 according to thepresent invention. The big bag 1 includes a body 2 having a plurality ofsidewalls 3, an open top end 4, a closed bottom 5, and a perimeter 6,wherein each one of the sidewalls 3 connects with an adjacent sidewallforming a corner 7; a plurality of handles 8, each handle 8 is connectedto a corresponding corner 7; and a central handle 9 connected to amiddle section 10 of the closed bottom 5 of the body, wherein thecentral handle 9 protrudes from the perimeter 6 of the body 2.

The big bag 1 may be made of a flexible material, for example,polypropylene raffia fabric. The big bag 1 may have a cubic,rectangular, or conical shape. The sidewalls 3 may be may be sewn amongthemselves and to the closed bottom 5. The lifting handles 8 may be sewnin the vertices of said mouth of said container pocket, and alsoincludes at least one central device of complementary mooring, oflongform characteristics arranged in the inside of said bag, defined byat least one upper handle integrally linked to a first end of a slingand at the other distal end is associated with at least one pivot pointadhered to the bottom of the base of said bag.

The Big bag 1 with the additional upper central handle 9 provides aholding point for the self-unloading of the bag.

FIGS. 6a-6d show the system 20 is used in combination with the big bag 1according to the present invention. The system 20 according to anembodiment of the present invention includes a body 22 having a centralpoint 26 and four arms 24, each one of the arms 24 includes a first end24 a connected to the central point 26 and a second end 24 b projectingaway from the central point 26, the body 22 has a cross shape. A hook 28is connected to each one of the second ends 24 b of the body 22. A mainhook 30 is connected to the central point 26 of the body 22.

The system 20 holds the big bag 1 using five hooks, one in each of thefour corners and a central one. When the bag is unloaded, the four hooksretract or open abruptly. The fifth hook remains closed holding the bagand allowing the immediate discharge of the bag by gravity. Theactivation of the hooks and rotation can be hydraulic, mechanical,magnetic, etc.

FIG. 7 shows the big bag according to an embodiment of the presentinvention, the big bag 30 includes a body 32 having a plurality ofsidewalls 34, an open top end 36, a closed bottom 38, wherein each oneof the sidewalls 34 connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner40; a plurality of handles 42, each handle 42 is connected to acorresponding corner 7; and at least one pivot 44 that allowsself-unloading of the bag. The incorporation of at least one pivot point(lateral or central) in the pocket at the bottom, and at least twoattachment points at the top will allow self-discharge. Thecharacteristic that determines the new bag is the use of at least twohandles in the upper part, and one or more handles (including anextended handle) (central or lateral) in the lower part that facilitatethe 180 degrees turn and the abrupt unloading of the bag.

FIG. 8 shows the mechanism of handling and unloading a reusable big bagof FIG. 7. This mechanism allows self-unloading of the bag. Themechanism 46 includes: a frame 47, two arms 48 (one in the inferior partand other in the superior part), and an activation mechanism 49. Theupper arm has two hooks 48 a that hold the bag 30 by the handles and itrotates 180 degrees to release the handles by using an activationmechanism 49 that allows the immediate unloading of the bag by gravity.The lower arm is fixed to the attachment. 12 degrees slewing action onboth sides, facilitating the clamping and hooking.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment according to the present invention. The bigbag 40 includes a side discharge 42. The big bag requires a structuresimilar to that of a container (with or without wall) and a sidedischarge hopper 42 with an inflatable wedge 44. The wedge is fill withair or water. The shape of the bag copies the shape of the structure andthe inflatable wedge. The discharge of the bag may be in the form of ahopper or not.

FIG. 10a shows an embodiment according to the present invention. The bigbag 50 includes a central removable panel 52. The big bag 50 requires astructure similar to that of a container (without a wall) and a lowercentral discharge hopper. The shape of the bag copies the shape of thestructure and the hopper. The “wall-less” structure of the bag refers tothe fact that it can be folded, or the supporting columns of thestructure can be removed. it requires a structure similar to that of acontainer (with or without wall) and a side discharge hopper with afolding mobile tilt floor. The shape of the bag copies the shape of thestructure and the folding mobile tilt floor. The discharge of the bagmay be in the form of a hopper or not.

At present, the methods of unloading for the sand use maritime ISOcontainers modified with a lower hopper, making it difficult totransport the empty containers by the volume that they occupy during thereturn to be filled again. Therefore, the big bag 50 was designed thatcan be used as a wall, in a foldable manner, using a container and/or asimilar structure of smaller size for the transport of the sand.

In order to manipulate the big bag 50, it is necessary to design devicesthat adequately allow performing or complementing the functions forwhich the bags were created. For this we have designed equipment thatachieve an immediate unloading of the bags, in which the bags can bereused or destroyed. These devices were created to be used inconjunction with the new designs of the bags, in forklifts,telehandlers, cranes, or similar lifting equipment.

FIG. 10b shows the mechanism that is use for the big bag 50. FIG. 10cshows the big bag 50 in a working position.

What is claimed is:
 1. A big bag comprising: a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; a central handle connected to a middle section of the closed bottom end of the body; and wherein the central handle protrudes from the perimeter of the body.
 2. A big bag comprising: a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; and at least one pivot device connected to the closed bottom end on an outer side of the big bag.
 3. A big bag comprising: a body having a plurality of sidewalls, an open top end, a closed bottom end, and a perimeter, wherein each one of the sidewalls connects with an adjacent sidewall forming a corner; a plurality of handles, each handle is connected to a corresponding corner; and wherein the closed bottom end is removable.
 4. The big bag according to claim 1, wherein the big bag is reusable.
 5. The big bag according to claim 2, wherein the big bag is reusable.
 6. The big bag according to claim 3, wherein the big bag is reusable. 